


Love trap

by Ilyasviel



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cassandra and Cullen relationship, Friendship, Love Poems, Other, Plans, Romanticism, Set Up, Varric has a plan, pushing some friends to lovers, trap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 02:43:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12739386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilyasviel/pseuds/Ilyasviel
Summary: After the fight in the Winter Palace, Ellana is taking some time for herself, just enjoying the night. Until Varric appears with a plan to push their friends into one another arms...





	Love trap

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StarGazerGamer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarGazerGamer/gifts).



> A treat for the lovely @StarGazerGamer
> 
> Her promp was: For Lavellan/Varric: Not a romantic ship. I just want a day of Varric/Lavellan hyjinx!! Let Skyhold fear the day these two decided to get into mischief.
> 
> Hope you like it! I had fun writing it! 
> 
> PS: The poem is a 'version' of this one: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/how-do-i-love-thee-sonnet-43

The sound of the bell calling for the dance ringed again, breaking the silence of the garden. After a full night of adventures and subterfuge, fighting for their lives and even a diplomatic war, the Inquisitor is having a well deserved relaxing moment. Ellana has run from the ballroom after the tenth dance. Her manoeuvre to keep all of the pieces in play, making Celene, Gaspard and Briala to join forces, has been exhausting. She stayed in the room until Leliana has distracted Josephine with a wink, giving her the chance to leave the room. The stars shine in the sky, the soft and distant music from the hall the perfect background. The Inquisitor has chosen a single bench near the centre of the garden, with the stairs at her back. The song of the fountain in front of her begins to enter her mind, sounding like a lullaby to her tired soul. But she knows better than fall asleep in an Orlais garden just before avoiding a coup d'état... Before she can fall into the Fade, the sound of loud steps over the gravel of the path to her right. She just needs some seconds to identify the newcomer, relaxing her stance on the bench while waiting. Soon enough, her favourite dwarf enters the plaza, whistling a song she didn't recognise. He is looking around, and when his piercing eyes find her, he smiles. Leaning on the wall beside the bench. "There you are, Sunshine."

With a nod, she pats the bench, sliding to one side, "Here I am. Please, tell me Josephine didn't send you. I'm tired of this damned Orlesians and their stupid dances."

Sitting with her, Varric chuckles, "You can rest easy. Gaspard is keeping her occupied. It seems our Ambassador has impressed the Grand Duke. Can tell you Red is not happy with it."

Ellana chuckles softly, thinking of their friends'' relationship and knowing how Leliana will be reacting to that. "Let's hope she didn't decide unilaterally to turn the triumvirate into a duo."

"Oh, I pretty much doubt it, but no one has talked about giving him some late payment. But talking about a duo... I came to find you because I finally have a plan."

Her face lights up hearing his words, and she turns to face him, crossing her legs while grinning happily, "Finally! Best news of the night!"

The dwarf chuckles deeply, "Glad to see that your priorities are the same as ever." When she sticks out her tongue, his happy grin just grows. "We have the perfect chance tonight, my friend. Curly has been suffering the Orlesians for hours, and she... well, let's say that she has been hiding in one of the balconies for the last half hour." Ellana nods, tilting her head. "And we know that our beloved Seeker has a weakness for poetry, flowers and candles, right?"

A very childish chuckle escapes her, "Absolutely."

Standing up from the bench, he beckons her while moving away, "Follow me, Sunshine. Let's see if you like my plan." She almost jumps from her seat, following him near enough to touch him. The walk is not a long one, just until they can see the balconies of the ballroom without leaving the garden. He stops under a gazebo, and she leans against it, enjoying the scent of the roses around them. Raising a hand, Varric signals one of the balconies, "There is where the Seeker is hiding, and that," He points to the one in front of it, "Is where I want to prepare my trap." When the Inquisitor nods, he crosses his arms, a mischievous grin on his face. "My plan is an easy one. Imagine Curly reaching the balcony with it covered in flowers, candles light around it, and a poem waiting for him, that one, to be precise." Searching inside of his shirt, he recovers a piece of paper. "I wrote it as soon as I saw the opportunity." He gives it to her, waiting for her approval.

"How do I love you? Let me count the ways.  
I love you with the depth and breadth and height  
my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight  
for the ends of being and ideal grace.  
I love you to the level of every day’s  
The quietest need, by sun and candlelight.  
I love you freely, as men strive for right.  
I love you purely, as they turn from praise.  
I love you with the passion put to use  
in my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.  
I love you with a love I seemed to lose  
With my lost god. I love you with the breath,  
smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if Maker choose,  
I shall but love you better after death."

Her watering eyes are the best reaction Varric can have, but she voices it anyway, "She'va dhal, Varric. She will melt with that!"

"Yeah. One of my finest works, indeed. Then, what do you say? Solid plan?"

Ellana returns the poem to him, nodding with a big smile, using the back of a hand to dry the lonely tear that has fallen. "When we begin?"

"Now or never, Sunshine. I will prepare the balcony with all the candles I can find. Can you pick the flowers? You knew her better than me to choose the correct kind and colours."

Clapping happily, the Inquisitor smiles broadly, moving away from the column she has been leaning on, “Consider it done, my friend.” She disappears into the shadows of the garden before he can say his goodbyes. Following her memory, the Inquisitor reaches a corner of the garden where a gigantic bed of red and pink roses await for her. With a mischievous smile, she begins to pick up flowers, trying to not disturb too much the design of the gardeners. She has her hands full but wants more flowers, lowering the flowers to a bench before taking off her sash and using it to store the roses. Moving to another part of the garden that has a twin bed of flowers, she picks up another bunch of them. Soon the bundle is too big even for the sash, and she nods appreciatively to it before grabbing it and marching to the balcony. Varric is already there, the floor around the railway is filled with scented candles, and he is working to add some more to the corners. “Hope the guests didn’t mind walking around in the darkness for the rest of the night, you seem to have stolen half the candles in the palace.”

Varric chuckles, still working on the last group of candles, “Yes. But you know how they love the games in the dark.” He winks at her, and seeing the big bundle on her arms, he whistles, “And I hope no gardener will be punished tomorrow for a totally ruined plantation.”

“Haha, very funny. No worries, I’ve been careful.” Kneeling in the middle of the balcony, Ellana opens the bundle, showing Varric the stash of flowers she has picked. “What do you think? We can create a couple of bouquets and put the rest on the railway.”

“I like the way you think, Sunshine. And I believe we can leave a trail of petals and candles to guide her to here.”

The Inquisitor hums her agreement, already working on creating the bouquets, mixing the colours of the flowers and using some magic to twist the stems. Soon, just before Varric finishes with the candles, she had the two bouquets ready. Giving one to Varric, she stands up and moves to the opposite corner, putting the flowers on it, rearranging the candles around it. Between her and Varric, they put the rest of the roses on the railway, creating a romantic space. Varric looks around, smiling broadly. “Maker’s breath, I will pay good money to see her face when she enters this balcony.”

“We are in the same boat here, but one of us has to bring Cullen here, and is more probably that he follows me than you. Besides, it will be good if we hide in the next balcony too, you know, check everything is working fine.”

Varric touches his nose before winking at her, “I see. Let me find a place to put the poem before we call them here. Maybe I will need some help to coax Cassandra to come here, you know we aren’t in the best moment of our relationship after Hawke’s visit.”

The hilarity of what they are about to do hits her in that very moment, making her burst in laughs with a very amused Varric looking at her. “Yeah. I don’t think she will come here gladly if it is you who ask her. Let me think about it…” Varric recovers the poem from his pocket, hanging the piece of parchment from the railway with a candle and some flowers framing it. They move together to the door, taking a look around, the space is like a romantic corner, secluded from the rest of the palace, with a direct view of the front garden. The night sky contrasting with the golden and warm light of the candles, and the dozens of roses permeating thesis with their scent. “Mythal’s breath, we have made a nice job, my friend.”

“Now the hardest part.”

The Inquisitor crosses an arm on her chest, leaning the other elbow on it while she drums her fingers over her lips, brows frowning in deep concentration. Varric lets her think, she is a good strategist, and this one has to be planned like a chess movement. At last, a couple of minutes later, she hums happily, lowering her arms. “Gotcha. Creators, it will be perfect!”

Raising his hands to stop her rambling, Varric chuckles, “I don’t want to know. Let me be surprised by your plans.”

“Deserting me already? I was counting with some help from your part, but I’m adaptation. Wait for me in the next balcony, then. I will put the gears in motion.” With a mischievous grin on her face, she leaves the balcony. Varric takes another look around, truly happy with the result of their work. It has to work, they just need a little push… walking to the designated ‘spying’ spot, he sits on the ground, taking one of his travel notebooks and beginning to write. The Seeker’s whereabouts always inspire him…

The Inquisitor reaches the ballroom trying to ignore everyone she finds or at least trying. A very drunken Orlesian ignores her Inquisition regalia, looking just to her ears and vallaslin, asking her for more wine in a very rude way. Before he can see his error, she picks a tray from a passing servant, pouring all the red wine on it over the noble’s head. His friends saw his mistake and run to excuse him, and Ellana picked more wine and threatened them with it, “Learn some respect to my people or Briana and I will teach you why you feared the elven years ago. They are servants, not animals!”

Leliana had seen all the exchange with a lopsided grin and decided to join before Ellana uses all the wine in the room to destroy the nobles’ pretty clothes. “Inquisitor! I believe our friends will take note of your counsel, right?”

She was well known in the court too, and her sweet words sounded even more threatening than the ones yelled at the Inquisitor. The nobles nod, agreeing with them before leaving the room with the tail between the legs. Ellana laughed openly seeing the run, and some of the elven around her give her a little bow, acknowledging her actions. Turning to face Leliana, she offers her arm to her, and when the other woman takes it, she walks to one of the balconies. “I’ve come looking for you, my friend.”

“And you have found me. What mischief are you planning this time?”

The Inquisitor chuckles, patting the hand on her arm lovingly. “I’m this easy to read? No, don’t answer me. Ignorance is a bliss.”

The other woman winks at her before disentangling their arms, taking the few steps that separate them from the railway and leaning on it. “Spit it out, Lavellan.”

“Eager, are we? Well, as I’m eager myself, let’s make it quick. Varric and I are making a move—“

The voice of Josephine behind them startles Ellana, bringing an even bigger grin to Leliana’s face. “Varric? I know the rumour between the maids is that he is pretty well endowed but, Inquisitor… aren’t you dating Sera?”

Rolling her eyes, Ellana sticks out her tongue to Josephine, “Haha, very funny, Ambassador. Almost as funny as your claim that you didn’t like Blackwall.”

“Huh, that burns, Inquisitor.” Leliana’s voice sounds pleased and funny, with a barely suppressed giggle just behind her words. “Anyway, what are you saying about Varric?”

Josephine joins them near the railway and waits patiently while Ellana rubs her hands with a lopsided grin. “We have a plan for the C team.” The grins on the other two women grown after her words. “A precious corner has been prepared, full of flowers and candles, and Varric has written the most precious poem I ever read. Now we need to drag her there, and then we need to add Cullen to the mix. I can work with the Commander part, but the one with Cassandra? She will never follow me there. Since the last prank, she didn’t trust me.”

Leliana exchanges a knowing look with Josephine, before turning again to face the Inquisitor. “Consider it done. I will take her there, but you must be quick bringing Cullen there, or she will run away.”

The Ambassador claps happily, “How romantic! I suppose you and Varric will be close to see the resolution, right? Can we join? Please?”

Knowing better than trying to dissuade them, Ellana just shrugs, “Fine, but you must use all your bards' abilities to go unnoticed. Now let me show you the balcony we prepared before we put the plan in motion.”

Following her back to the ballroom, Leliana walks side by side with her while Josephine moves to rescue Cullen of another group of enthusiastic Orlesians. They made a quick work of the distance, reaching the balcony in no time. Leliana just whistles when she saws the setting and Varric chuckle reaches from the adjacent balcony. Tilting her head, she signals the ballroom, pointing at it with a hand. “Time to move then, Inquisitor.” They walk back to the dance area, and Leliana stops in front of the double doors, “I’ll bring Cassandra. You can keep Cullen entertained until we pass that doors. Wait a couple of minutes before coming.” Moving away, she turns to face her while walking backwards, “And tell Josie to wait for me here!”

Taking a deep breath to put the Inquisitor mask in place, Ellana steps inside the ballroom, walking directly to where Cullen and Josie are. The Ambassador sees her and waves, making Cullen look up, smiling at her with a tired frown. “Good night, Cullen, Josephine. Leliana wants to meet you in the hall, Ambassador. I will keep our Commander company for a while. We don’t want more Orlesians kidnapping him, huh?”

Josie giggles softly before excusing herself, leaving them alone. The nobles around them stare unabashedly, making Cullen shift uncomfortably. Ellana positions herself looking directly to the door, where the red and golden of their regalia stands out against the darkness of the hall. She makes inane conversation with Cullen, talking about the food or the wine, and even the behaviour of some of the nobles who have been pestering him. Soon, a pair of red clothes appears amidst the darkness, making her smile softly when Josephine disappears too. Counting in her head, she waits sixty seconds before starting her move. “So, Commander, will you walk with me? I need some fresh air and piece, and I swear that you need it too.”

“Of course, Inquisitor.”

Ellana points to the double doors with a tilt of her head before start walking to it. Cullen follows closely, and together, they leave the room ignoring every attempt to stop them from part of the petty nobles that roam the place. The well-illuminated room is a high contrast against the darkness of the corridors the Inquisitor uses to reach their destination. Cullen stops trying to know where they are going after three turns, trusting her to know where she is going. Opening the door to the balcony, she steps aside, giving him space to enter, and when he does it while his gaze is still fixed in her, she just winks and whispers for him, “Go for it. You will never have a better chance.” And with a final push, she closes the door behind him, almost running to the next balcony, joining the rest in the shadows. From their position, they can see their shoulders, and Cassandra is still standing in front of the point where Varric has hung the poem, and the little piece of paper is in her hands, making her lost concentration every now and then. Their voices are too low to be heard over the distant sound of the ballroom, which signals that they are talking in whispers. Ellana sees the blonde head of the Commander moving closer to her, and they just stand beside one another. In silence. In fucking silence. Not even the murmur of a whispered conversation, just nothing. She turns to face Varric, rolling her eyes, “What are they doing? A stare competition? Damn!” Varric just shrugs, and Leliana puts a hand on her shoulder, asking her without words to relax. Another couple of minutes and nothing happen. They didn’t even move a single muscle. Just standing one in front of the other, surrounded by flowers and candles. The nerves are getting the best of her, and at last, Ellana explodes, “Fenedhis! In Mythal’s name! Kiss her already!” She clutches both hands over her mouth, knowing that she has discovered their hiding place.

“Smooth, Sunshine. Pretty smooth.” Varric is fighting hard with his voice, to keep it low and controlled, and Josie and Leliana are trying, unsuccessfully, to keep their straight faces. When a soft and distant giggle reaches them, the four rogues on the balcony stop talking. After some seconds, Ellana risks a look over the railway, only to be rewarded with what they have been waiting for: the Seeker and the Commander, hugging and sharing a soft kiss. Cassandra’s hands grasping Cullen’s jacket while his arms surround her upper body. Sliding back to her place between her friends, Ellana makes a thumbs up, and Josie almost falls when she tries to look too, losing her balance. Leliana rescues her, taking a look herself and pairing her smile with the ones Ellana and Josie are wearing. The last who looks is Varric, who just shakes his head, whispering an about time. With a tilt of his head, they leave the balcony, giving the couple the intimacy they deserve. Josie and Leliana use the secondary stairs to go down the garden, wanting to enjoy the night breeze, while Ellana and Varric walk back to the ballroom, wanting to celebrate with a drink. Reaching it, the Inquisitor requisites a full tray of wine before moving to a free balcony. Once settled, she gives Varric a cup before raising it to cheer with him, “For a nice plan, perfectly executed.”

He makes their cups clink, taking a long sip from his, before fixing his gaze in hers, a lopsided grin plastered on his face again. “One done. Two to go. Do you mind if we fix our attention on our beloved Sparks? He is so lovesick with Bull that is almost cute.”

Finishing her cup in a single long gulp, she puts it down before picking another one. “Oh yes. I like the way you think, my friend. They will never know what hit them.”

 


End file.
